2008-09 PAC Men's Basketball Preview
BETHANY BISON (17-11 Overall, 9-3 PAC)
After winning their PAC-record 12th conference championship a year ago, the Bethany men’s basketball team will have a different look to it, with a new head coach on the sidelines and a pair of All-PAC selections gone from the backcourt.
First-year head coach Mike Summey, who came to Bethany after a two-year stint at North Florida University, will have to replace PAC MVP Brody Jackson and second team all-league Marcus Adams, but the cupboard is hardly bare. Three starters are back and a total of seven players who averaged double-digit minutes return to try to help the Bison repeat.
Headlining the returning starters is senior Tyler Morando, who was second on the team last season with 10.1 points per game. The 6-2 guard drained 60-of-137 attempts from the arc (43.8 percent) and had 15 games in double digits.
Other key returners in the backcourt include senior PG Carey Palermo, who started three games late last year and averaged 4.0 points and 1.7 assists per contest, and sophomore Dakota Matz, who posted 5.0 points per game in his initial season in Green and White.
The Bison look to be solid inside with two returning starters and strong depth as well. Juniors Ryan Besancon (8.4 points, 5.3 rebounds in 28 starts last year) and Joe Testa (9.1 ppg., 6.0 rpg., in 28 games, 19 starts) are backed up by 6-7 senior Petre Petkovski, who recorded 9.6 points and 5.1 rebounds per game off the bench. Junior Jonas Ankrom (7.3 ppg., 3.1 rpg.) was also a key reserve for BC a year ago.
Bethany has a plethora of other veterans who will look to contribute this season. They include sophomore C Kenny Barrows, junior G Jay Lyonette (0.7 ppg. in 12 games), sophomore F Ryan McFadden (1.6 ppg. in 18 games), sophomore G Dustin Opalka (1.2 ppg. in 11 games), sophomore G Nick Thomas and junior G Austin Walters.
Even with 12 players back from last year,
the Bison will be further strengthened by a talented class of newcomers, which
includes seven freshmen and a pair of transfers. Bethany, who is 50-10 at Hummel
Field House over the past five seasons, will show off their fresh look Nov. 17
in their season opener when they host LaRoche at 7 p.m.
GROVE CITY WOLVERINES (17-10
Overall, 9-3 PAC)
With three returning starters and several other
letterman back in the fold, the Grove City College men’s basketball team looks
to remain among the Presidents’ Athletic Conference elite in 2008-09.
Grove City won the conference title in 2007, then finished the 2007-08 regular season in a tie atop the conference. The Wolverines advanced to the Eastern College Athletics Conference (ECAC) Southern Championship Tournament each of the last two years.
Senior point guard Ryan Gibson, senior shooting guard Joe McCoy and junior center Andy O’Keefe are all back as returning starters after strong seasons last winter.
Gibson led the squad with 90 assists last year while also averaging 11.3 points per game. A two-year starter, the 6-foot-2 Gibson led the team in minutes played.
McCoy and O’Keefe both emerged in their
first year as starters last season. The 6-1 McCoy started 26 of 28 games and
fired in 33 three-pointers in 2007-08. He also finished second on the squad in
assists-to-turnover ratio.
O’Keefe averaged 10.7 points per game while shooting a team best 55 percent from
the field. The 6-7 junior also led the team with 22 blocks and finished second
to Gibson with 61 assists.
Several candidates will battle for the two vacant starting spots. Senior forward John Scheller returns after missing the 2007-08 season due to injury. Now fully healed, the 6-3 two-year letterman will provide depth in the post for Grove City.
Sophomore Kris Verderber played in all 28 games last year as a reserve forward and shot 51 percent from the field. The 6-6 Verderber will battle with Scheller for a starting assignment.
Junior Luke Tomaselli played in 26 games last year and will likely take over as Grove City’s defensive stopper. Tomaselli finished second on the team with 19 steals last year. He also blocked 10 shots.
Tomaselli could play as many as four positions this season.
Senior David Crosby, a 6-foot veteran, made 13 appearances as a junior and earned his first letter. He will also challenge for a starting spot this year.
Two sophomore guards are back in the mix this year. Caleb Orchard, a 5-11 lefty, and 6-0 Dan DiNinno are both back after seeing extensive action as freshman. Orchard played in all 28 games last year and shot 11-for -22 behind the three-point line. DiNinno, meanwhile, saw action in 13 games.
Grove City led the conference in field goal percentage defense last year, allowing opponents to shoot just 41 percent from the field.
The Wolverines also tired for first in three-point percentage making 38.1 percent of their shots from long range.
Grove City will open the season at the
Dickinson Tip-Off Tournament November 21-22 in Carlisle, Pa.
THIEL TOMCATS (10-15 Overall, 4-8 PAC)
The 2008-09 edition of the Thiel College men’s
basketball team looks poised to improve upon the 10 wins of a season ago.
Thiel, under third-year head coach Tim Loomis, equaled its win total from the
previous two seasons combined in 2007-08 and came up just short of advancing to
the second round of the Presidents’ Athletic Conference tournament.
This year, Loomis has the advantage of returning four starters, including a pair of sophomore all-PAC selections in Devon Adams and Tommy Hall.
Adams, a point guard, was fifth in the President's Athletic Conference averaging 4.3 assists per game and 15th in scoring at 12.3 points per game. The frontcourt will be handled in part by Hall, who averaged 10.0 points and 5.9 rebounds per contest a year ago as a rookie, while shooting a team-best 59% from the field.
Thiel is particularly rich with experienced depth at the guard positions, with five returners on the 2008-09 roster.
Senior Brandon Mirizio and junior Nick Sefscik – starters for much of last season – are back for the blue and gold. Mirizio drew 19 starts in 24 games while averaging almost seven points per contest last year, while Sefscik got the starting nod in 21 contests. The 6-3 Sefscik was Thiel’s most reliable shooter from long range last season, converting at a 42% clip while averaging nine points per game.
Off the bench, junior Wes Siko and sophomore Nick Matviko saw action in 24 and 21 games, respectively. Junior Cory Chaffee put up nearly 10 points per game a season ago, albeit in limited action.
Down low for Thiel, senior Keebo Dowe and sophomore Alan George return to aide in filling the void left by All-PAC first team selection Joe Hermann (18 ppg/7 rpg), who was lost to graduation. Dowe saw time in 24 games, averaging 5.4 points and 4.3 boards per contest. George appeared in 25 games, drawing one start.
The road to the post-season, however, will not be an easy one.
Loomis has succeeded in putting together one of the most difficult non-conference schedules in program history, highlighted by visits to Indiana University of Pennsylvania (Nov. 15), division I Eastern Kentucky (Nov. 25), and Edinboro (Nov. 30). Thiel will play only eight games at Beeghly Gymnasium this season, the first of which is Dec. 3’s PAC opener versus Waynesburg. The regular season closes out with a Feb. 23 visit by rival Grove City.
THOMAS MORE SAINTS (11-16
Overall, 5-7 PAC)
The
Thomas More College men’s basketball team is ready to continue to build on the
success the team had last season.
A year ago, Head Coach John Ellenwood’s team finished 11-16 overall, an
eight-win improvement from two seasons ago, finished tied for fourth in the
Presidents’ Athletic Conference (PAC) with a 5-7 conference record and won the
program’s first-ever PAC Tournament game. Ellenwood and the Saints feel good
about the improvements they made last season, but are looking to build on that
success and taking another step forward and challenging for the PAC regular
season and PAC Tournament titles.
“Our returning players have a better understanding of what is expected of them
in order to be competitive in every game, said Ellenwood, who enters his third
campaign as the Saints’ mentor. “Winning is difficult and our players learned
from last season that it is the “little details” in all areas of the game that
can make the difference. Our players are more focused on what they need to
accomplish and, as a result, we should be able to take another step in the right
direction.”
Ellenwood will have a deep bench with experience with 14 letterwinners
returning, including four starters from last season’s team. Headlining the list
of returners is 6-6 senior second team All-PAC forward Mark Tinklenberg,
who averaged 15.3 points and 6.6 rebounds per game and had 50 assists and a
team-leading 30 steals. Tinklenberg is a dual threat as he also stepped out and
connected on 60-of-158 three-point attempts last season.
Joining Tinklenberg as a returning starter is 6-2 senior wing Matty Owens,
5-11 sophomore wing John Bovard and 6-0 junior point guard Romell
Salone. Owens scored 8.4 ppg., grabbed 4.8 rpg. and was second on the team
with 27 steals. Bovard scored 5.9 ppg. as he shot 40 percent from the field and
80 percent from the free-throw line, while Salone ran the offense scoring 5.7
ppg. and dished out a 53 assists.
“This is the first year in my coaching career here at Thomas More where we have
a solid core of returning veteran players and I feel that their understanding of
our team’s philosophies and their experience in close games will help us to
develop further ahead as a program,” stated Ellenwood. “Our coaching staff is
excited about our leadership returning and we feel that we have a better
understanding of what to expect from them this season.
Other returning players to look for are 6-3 sophomore wing Eddie Brown,
6-4 senior forward Matt Tierney and 6-7 sophomore post player Brian
Muse all to be improved as they all averaged over 10 minutes of action a
game. Brown averaged 7.5 ppg. and 2.4 rpg., Tierney averaged 3.2ppg. and 2.3
rpg. and Muse averaged 5.1 ppg. and had 15 blocks. In addition to the veterans
and a solid recruiting class, the Saints have the ingredients for a run at the
PAC title and a berth in the National Collegiate Athletic Association Division
III national tournament.
“On the floor, our team goal is the same as all the teams in our conference, to
represent our league in the NCAA tournament, but we have to stay focused on the
path to the goal in order to achieve success, said Ellenwood. “We focus to “win
everyday” and we challenge our players to focus in on one or two fundamentals
each practice that are specific to them, that will help improve their overall
skill and ultimately our team’s success.”
Thomas More opens the season on Friday and Saturday,
November 21-22 when it travels to Buffalo, New York for the Buffalo State
University Tip-Off Tournament
WASHINGTON & JEFFERSON
PRESIDENTS (14-14 Overall, 8-4 PAC)
Head Coach Glenn Gutierrez arrived on campus three years
ago and vowed to bring hard work and intensity to the Washington & Jefferson
College men’s basketball program. His first two teams produced back-to-back
14-win seasons. The Presidents have also made two consecutive trips to the
Presidents’ Athletic Conference Tournament Championship Game.
Although W&J dropped both contests, the bar has been raised and the Presidents
are ready to take the next step towards securing their first conference title
since 1995. Washington & Jefferson has won 14 games in consecutive seasons for
the first time in 57 years.
“It is important for our program to take that next step,” said Gutierrez, whose
record stands at 28-28 after two seasons. “We do have high expectations, but we
are not going to set a number of wins we would like to have as our goal, because
that wouldn’t be fair to these guys. As I have said from the start, we want to
create a hard-working environment, and if we do that, we expect to be a good
basketball team.”
With five starters and 11 letterwinners returning, Gutierrez feels that the
squad has worked hard in the first week of practice. The PAC Championship runs
the past two seasons have given W&J’s returnees the experience needed to achieve
success in 2008-2009.
“Our guys are hungry to get back to that point,” he added. “They’ve learned a
lot over the past two years. We’ve come up short of our goal, but I have been
very pleased with how this group has handled that.”
Leading the familiar faces this season are senior frontcourt players Wahab
Owolabi and Josip-Lucic Jozak. Owolabi is a two-year starter, who
has played in 69 career contests. He has scored 681 career points and grabbed
450 rebounds, while shooting over 53 percent from the floor. Owolabi
contributed 12.3 points and 7.9 rebounds a game last year, while making 50
percent of his field goal attempts.
“Wahab has the ability to be the best player on the floor every night,” noted
the head coach. “It has been fun watching his progress. He is one of those
guys who doesn’t realize how good he can be. His strength and explosiveness are
what make him the player that he is today. What impresses me the most is how
hard he works every practice and every game.”
Lucic-Jozak went over 1,000 points for his career (1,005) in last year’s PAC
Championship Game. The three-year letterwinner has found his niche off the
Presidents’ bench after starting his freshman campaign. In 77 career games,
Lucic-Jozak is a career 57 percent field goal shooter and has added 541
rebounds. He posted team highs of 15.7 points and 8.3 rebounds per contest,
while only averaging 25.3 minutes per game. Lucic-Jozak also shot 58 percent
from the field and 73 percent from the free throw line.
“Josip can be dominant because of his size and his soft touch around the rim,”
said Gutierrez. “There are not too many players in Division III who have
6-foot-9, 260-pound frames and have the great hands that Josip does. I am very
pleased with his development and maturity over the years. He can be a dangerous
offensive player.”
Gutierrez will also rely on the senior leadership of guard/forward Nathan
Burton. Burton handled the Presidents’ point guard duties during his first
two years on campus, but performed well in a new role last year as a swing
forward. Burton excels in a number of different roles for the Presidents,
including drawing the opponents’ top scorer on the defensive end. He averaged
2.1 points and 2.6 rebounds per game last year, but added 59 assists, 29 steals
and 12 blocks.
“Nate has versatility and leads by example,” added Gutierrez. “Last year, he
didn’t have to handle the ball as much and played more in the post. He brings
vocal leadership in practice and directs traffic. Those are important roles for
our success.”
Burton was able to move positions last season because of the development of
point guards Matt Drakeley and Adam Braithwaite. Drakeley, a
junior, is an offensive threat after averaging 6.8 points and 2.1 assists per
contest. Braithwaite was coming off a knee injury, but excelled in the role of
a more traditional floor leader during his freshman campaign.
“Matt and Adam will once again be our primary ball handlers,” he said. “We have
the luxury of playing both at the same time. Matt shot the ball well at the end
of last season and Adam worked on his shot this offseason.”
Junior forward Albert Varacallo added versatility and a scoring punch to
the W&J lineup last season. He was second on the team in scoring (12.7 ppg),
while also grabbing 5.1 rebounds per contest. Varacallo also knocked down a
team-leading 43 three-point field goals.
“Albert can score in a variety of different ways,” said Gutierrez. “He is one
guy who has proved to be a consistent scorer. He has the ability to be a very
good player for us.”
Another player with similar attributes to Varacallo is sophomore guard/forward
Brian Felker. Felker came on strong towards the end of the year for the
Presidents, including a 22-point, five-rebound performance in the PAC
Championship Game at Bethany. He finished the season averaging 8.9 points and
3.0 boards per game.
Gutierrez is also expecting senior guard Derek Syrylo to serve a key role
on the 2008-2009 roster. He is a talented outside shooter and brings the
big-game experience to the younger members of the roster.
“We are hoping Brian continues his progression,” said Gutierrez. “He drives to
the basket well and has become a three-point threat. We are trying to get Brian
to use his whole bag of talents because he is another player who can be really
exciting. Derek is a solid veteran who has experienced ups and downs over his
career. He has grown from his experiences and he has handled everything we have
asked of him well. We’ll need Derek to knock down open perimeter shots for
us.”
Sophomore guard/forward Nick Morelli (4.0 ppg, 2.5 rpg) started all 28
games a year ago and will be asked to increase his scoring production in
2008-09. Sophomores guard E.J. Morascyzk and forward Jon Fazekas
as well as freshman redshirt guard Noah Hayden will all add depth off the
bench. Hayden was limited to six games last year after missing the remainder of
the season with an injury.
The Presidents face a daunting non-conference schedule, including four-straight
games to open the year at the Stevens Tech and Wooster tournaments. Gutierrez
is hoping the tough competition early on leads to greater success down the road
once the conference schedule begins.
“Do we have the potential to win the conference championship, yes,” concluded
Gutierrez. “However, probably every other team in the PAC is saying the same
thing right now. We need to do what we do best and rally around each other. We
have an unselfish group that stresses accountability. We have a chance for a
special year if we stay healthy, and we are looking forward to the challenges we
will face.”
WAYNESBURG YELLOW
JACKETS (8-17 Overall, 2-10 PAC)
With 10 veterans returning and a freshman class
that features good height and scoring potential in its six members, the
2008-2009 Waynesburg men’s basketball team is looking for big things this
season.
The man in charge of turning that promise into results is sixth-year head coach Frank Ferraro. Ferraro, along with his three-man staff of assistant coaches, will try to build off of last year’s 8-17 record that included a 2-10 mark in Presidents’ Athletic Conference (PAC) play.
Last year’s men’s team struggled with multiple injuries to players like current senior forward Colby Grubich and guards Ryan Courneen, a junior, and Zack Engel, a senior. Ferraro is hoping that the injury bug will not bite this year’s team like it did last season.
“We have a couple of guys that have been really banged up over the last few years,” Ferraro said. “Grubich missed all of last year with a serious finger injury requiring multiple surgeries. Ryan Courneen hurt his knee early and then came back for the last six or seven games last year and started to play better.”
Along with the experienced players who missed serious time last year due to injury, the Jackets return two starters in senior guard Jason Clark and senior guard/forward Dan Happe, the team’s top returning scorer.
Last season, Happe tallied an average of 11 points and 2.9 rebounds per game, while playing just over 30 minutes per contest. He also recorded 50 assists in 25 games. Clark is back after starting 24-of-25 games, averaging 7.6 points per contest and pulling down 2.8 rebounds per contest.
Junior guard Jarrell Rodriguez, who earned a start in one of the 18 games he played in, brings a 5.3 ppg scoring average with him from last year. Sophomore guard Steven Iser appeared in 23 games as a freshman and connected on 43 percent of his three-pointers in 07-08. The second-year player also shot an impressive 55.6 percent overall from the floor.
“Steve Iser played really well last year. We’re expecting bigger and better things out of him this year,” Ferraro said. “He has been very dedicated in the weight room.”
Courneen (4.6 ppg, 1.2 rpg) and sophomore guard Erik Noone (1.9 ppg, 1.4 rpg) are two more experienced players that Ferraro and his staff will be looking towards to take the next step in their development.
This year’s freshman class features a nice mix of point-scoring guards and big men with some valuable size.
Among the recruits are 6-0 guard Luke Baker, who scored over 1,000 points during his time at nearby McGuffey High School, and 5-10 Larry Alexander, who was a prolific scorer at Pittsburgh’s Highlands High School.
The Jackets also add some raw height in 6-5 center Josh Alderson, 6-5 forward James Allenby, 6-3 guard Louis Galante and 6-6 forward/center Ryan Wilson.
“I think we’re going to be able to play several of the young guys and we’re looking for them to round into form. Hopefully it will happen as the first semester wraps up and we get into conference play,” Ferraro said. “We want to be able to go deeper into our bench.”
As they have done in the past, the Jackets will focus on getting out on the run on offense and push the tempo of the game to keep bigger teams off balance. Their style of play will have a similar look on defense, where they will try to keep the pressure up on their opponents.
This year, Ferraro has added a third member to his assistant coaching staff in the form of 2008 Geneva graduate, Zachary Northen. Last year, Northen started in 24 of the 25 games he appeared in for the Golden Tornadoes and averaged 9.6 ppg and 4.8 ppg.
“His youth is an asset and he can get in with the team and really work with them,” Ferraro said. “Not having to play against him this year is also nice.”
Completing Ferraro’s staff are Shaun Mellinger, who is in his fifth year at Ferraro’s side, and Lynnie Lynch, who goes into his sixth season on the Waynesburg bench.
With so many new faces and so many players coming back from injury, a lot is still unknown about the Waynesburg men’s basketball team. However, the early signs are good that some big steps could be taken this season towards a PAC title.
“They’ve worked extremely hard to this point, but I know they can work harder and my goal is to get them to a higher level,” Ferraro said of his team. “We’ll continue to push that as much as we can.”
The Waynesburg men hit the hardwood to tip the season off on Nov. 21, when they take part in the Kron’s Classic at La Roche College. The two-day tournament will wrap up on Nov. 22.
PAC play gets started on Dec. 3 when they travel to Thiel.
WESTMINSTER TITANS 7-19
Overall, 5-7 PAC)
Something as subtle as a clean bill of
health can mean a lot to a college basketball team. Just ask members of the
Westminster College men's basketball team.
After making their first-ever trip to the NCAA Division III Tournament in 2007,
the Titans seemed ripe for yet another successful season last year. However, the
Titans were plagued with injuries and wound up finishing the 2007-08 season with
a 7-19 record and a 5-7 mark in the Presidents' Athletic Conference (PAC).
Sixth-year head coach Larry Ondako is
not letting a down season deter his team. In fact, last year's rapid descent is
all the more reason why the Titans can rebound just as quickly.
"Health can turn an NCAA Tournament team into a seven-win team, but it can also
take a seven-win team into an NCAA Tournament team," Ondako said. "If we're
healthy it's going to be a nice season."
That doesn't mean he brings up last season much. The seven wins tied the 1974
team for the fewest in the program's modern era while the 19 losses were the
most in team history.
"We're not talking about last season," Ondako said. "We used the word
‘perspective' a lot last year and the reason we came on at the end of last
season was because we had about four weeks when we were healthy."
Despite the injuries, the Titans finished the PAC regular season in fourth
place, including a win over eventual champion Bethany in their regular-season
finale. Though the Titans lost 19 games, seven of the losses were either in
overtime or by three points or less. Westminster also ranked sixth in the nation
in 3-point shooting, making 10.5 per game.
Two returning starters made it through the season unscathed by injury. They
include senior guard David Richards and junior forward Ryne Murray.
Richards averaged 7.8 points and 3.6 assists. Murray is the top returning scorer
and rebounder in the PAC after he ranked sixth with 17.8 points and a PAC-best
10.1 rebounds per game last year while earning second-team all-PAC honors.
Murray posted 12 double-doubles during the season including career highs of 21
rebounds vs. Waynesburg on Feb. 9 and 27 points vs. Penn State-Behrend on Nov.
24. He scored in double figures in all but one game, including 10 games with 20
or more points.
The biggest void felt on the injury front was 6-foot-8 center Steve Bielich.
Bielich will be a junior this year after a torn ACL kept him out all of last
season. He started a combined 25 games the previous two seasons and averaged
11.6 points per game as a sophomore during the team's run at the NCAA Tournament
and 12.9 points as a freshman in 2006.
"He's a 6-8 kid with shooting range from 25 feet," Ondako said. "There are not
many kids like him around at our level. He's a shot-blocker and when he's not in
the lineup our defense has to sag back. He's an enormous asset when he's in
there and he's an enormous loss when he's not. It can change the makeup of what
we do."
The other noteworthy injured players included sophomore guard Max Spinner,
who played in 21 games with 6.7 points per game but was never healthy during the
year with a nagging ACL injury.
Senior guard Bobby Glass , a transfer from Grove City, will be ready to
play at full health. He played in four games last year after attempting to
comeback one year removed from an emergency open heart surgery.
Gone from Westminster's team this year are three starters from the 2007-08 team.
They include guard Craig Hannon, the school's all-time leading scorer with 1,717
career points who averaged 18.6 points during his senior season.
Ondako acknowledges Hannon's absence will be tough to replace, but he expects
more of a balanced scoring attack from his younger players.
"We're not going to have someone scoring 20 points every game," he said. "It's
going to be dispersed. We have a good group of incoming freshman and we had a
solid group of sophomores who got a lot of playing time and experienced some
success toward the end of last season."
Including Spinner, those sophomores were guards Louie Pisani and Brady
Sherrieb and forward Kevin Mayberry.
The taste of success by the younger players, the NCAA Tournament success of
players like Richards and Bielich, the proven productivity of Murray, and a
fully-recovered Glass make up potent medicine for all the things ailing
Westminster as it enters a new season.
GENEVA GOLDEN TORNADOES (14-14 Overall)
Geneva men’s head basketball coach Jeff Santarsiero
has gone on record by saying he is ready for his program to take its success to
the next level. The Golden Tornadoes are primed to make a name for themselves
within the Presidents’ Athletic Conference. “We want to establish ourselves as
one of the premier programs in this conference,” says Santarsiero. “We have
moved along at a successful rate, but we feel like its time to take the next
step and compete each year at the top of this conference.”
Beginning his 12th season as a head coach for the
Golden Tornadoes, Jeff Santarsiero will begin his 20th year in the
program. Throughout those years in charge, Santarsiero has seen many successes
for the Golden Tornadoes and the upcoming season looks to be no different. The
Golden Tornadoes have attempted to restock their talent pool after losing four
seniors to graduation. Most notably, Greg McDivitt completed his eligibility a
year ago as the team’s leading scorer with 16.7 points per game. McDivitt also
pulled down a team best 7.9 rebounds per game. As a whole, Geneva will have to
replace a combined 38 points per game that graduated a year ago.
Geneva will first depend on a solid group of
returning veterans for production. Geneva will feature just two seniors on this
year’s roster, including three year starting point guard Justin Nardi.
Nardi posted 9.5 points and a team best 4.8 assists per game last year. He will
receive significant scoring help at the guard position from one of the most
prolific long range shooters to ever wear a Geneva uniform. Bryan Hill
returns for his junior season having knocked down a total of 168 three point
field goals in his first two years. Last season, Hill was 100-246 (41%) from
outside the arc. Junior Matt Blocki will be the obvious choice to replace the
production of Greg McDivitt. Blocki started three games last year and
posted 6.3 points per game. Other returning players that will need to step up
are Kyle Frohnapple, Joey Deep, Brandon Sopko and
Richard Colick. Colick missed the entire 2007-08 season because of a broken
wrist but played 30 games during his freshman campaign of 2006-07. During that
season, Colick scored just under four points per game, but shot over 53% from
the field.
“We really feel strongly about the guys we have returning,” said Santarsiero. “Each of our upperclassmen has worked hard to prepare for the upcoming season and hopefully we will see the results follow. It will be nice to have Rich back in the line-up this year. We missed his ability to get to the basket and rebound last year. He makes us a more complete basketball team.”
While the Geneva coaching staff is excited about its returning group of players, it may be more excited about some of the new faces in the program. The Golden Tornadoes will welcome back Ryan Lynch to the program after he missed the last two years. A strong power forward, Lynch is the only other senior along with Justin Nardi on the roster. New to Geneva this year is junior transfer Brandon Harvey. Another long distance threat, Harvey transfers to Geneva after spending his first two college years at Seton Hill University. A pair of freshmen will undoubtedly make an immediate impact on the Geneva program. Lambros Svingos, a 6’6 forward from Huntington, WV, will provide some much needed bulk in the middle. Equally as impressive is freshman Dave Phillips from Beaver Falls. Phillips is a slasher with tremendous jumping ability that gives the Golden Tornadoes another significant scoring weapon. “We can put out a bunch of offensive talent,” said Santarseiro. “I don’t think we will have any problem scoring points but like anything else we have to be able to stop teams on the defensive end of the floor.”
Geneva’s defense was a problem last year as
the Golden Tornadoes surrendered over 77 points per game, a number that Jeff
Santarsiero would like to see drastically improved. “We don’t mind an up-tempo
type game, but there always comes a time when we need to step up on the
defensive end of the floor and that will be a priority for us all year.”
Geneva finished the 2007-08 campaign with an overall record of 14-14. In many
cases a .500 season would be looked upon as a solid accomplishment. For the
Golden Tornadoes and head coach Jeff Santarsiero it will take a whole lot more
victories to be satisfying in 2007-08.
SAINT VINCENT BEARCATS
(22-4 Overall)
The good news for opponents of Saint Vincent College’s men’s
basketball team is that this year, the Bearcats will be without three-year
starter and 1,000-point scorer Ian McCollough.
Unfortunately for Bearcat foes, four other starters, and seven players total, return after a record-breaking 2007-08 campaign.
Last season, Saint Vincent, under the guidance of head coach DP Harris, finished 22-4, capping the season off with capturing the ECAC Division-II championship. The Bearcats finished the season with a perfect 13-0 record at home, and out-scored their opponents by an average of 11+ points per game (78.6-67.5).
While losing McCollough was certainly a huge blow for the Bearcats, as he posted team high averages in scoring (18.1) and rebounding (7.2) en-route to earning PAC Coaches Honors, Saint Vincent does return four starters for the ’08-09 campaign, each of whom made significant contributions.
Leading the strong group of returnees for the Bearcats is senior point guard Joey Butler. A transfer to SVC after spending two years at D-I Mount St. Mary’s, Butler emerged as arguably the top point guard in the PAC. He finished last season ranked in the top 10 in the conference in seven different categories, as he averaged 17.2 points (9th in PAC) and 4.92 assists (2nd), while averaging 3.38 steals (1st) and hitting 34 three-pointers (8th) while earning PAC Coaches Honors.
The brother of former SVC two-time All-American Kenny Roberts, Butler led the Bearcats in scoring in 11 contests, and scored in double figures 24 times.
A second PAC Coaches Honors recipient coming back for the Bearcats is F/C Mike Medved. A 6-7 senior, he quietly enjoyed the best season of his career in ’07-08, starting all 26 games and averaging 8.2 points and 5.2 rebounds, while finishing second in the PAC in field goal percentage, as he hit on 59% of his shots from the floor. He also recorded 18 blocked shots, and finished the year with six double-doubles.
Guard Billy Bains is a third senior back in ’08-09, and after starting 61 of 77 games over his career, has proven to be a very consistent contributor for the Bearcats. Last season, the Switzerland native averaged 7.2 points and 4.2 rebounds, while logging 27 minutes per game, second most on the team, scoring in double digits nine times.
Another returnee to the talented front court is BJ McGill. The 6-1 sophomore enjoyed a fine first season in the green and gold, averaging 10.1 points. He tied Butler for the team lead by sinking 34 three-pointers, while he finished second behind the point guard in steals (32). Playing well beyond his years, he scored in double figures 15 times as a freshman, and led the team in scoring on four different occasions.
Tre’sor Kalambay joins Bains and Medved as four-year members of the squad, and the Ontario native has logged plenty of time during his career in Latrobe.
Last season, the 6-2 Kalambay averaged seven points per game, and was a marksman
from beyond the three-point line, connecting on 27 of 66 attempts, good for 39
percent. While he responded well to the “sixth man” role last season, Kalambay
has started 36 games over the course of his career, and has seen time at both
shooting guard and at point.
Maurice Hawkins and Jordan Cleary are both back for their junior seasons at the guard position, and should compete for an increased role in ’08-09. Both are extremely athletic, as Hawkins has demonstrated the ability to be a shut-down player defensively, while the sharp-shooting Cleary doubles as a quarterback on the SVC football team.
Mike Watkins, a 6-8 junior, returns underneath the hoop, and was much more than a prototypical power forward in ’07-08. While he averaged nearly two rebounds and picked up 13 blocked shots in just over seven minutes per contest in ’07-08, Watkins also showcased his shooting range, connecting on 14 three-pointers.
While the Bearcat core of returnees is very strong, Harris has also assembled a very solid group of first-year players.
The head coach once again tapped the fertile pipeline from suburban Washington DC, landing forwards Deonte Edmonds and Norman Washington, as well as guard Brandon Carroll. The 6-3 Edmonds possesses an ideal frame, and earned a pair of all-conference accolades at Oxon Hill HS. The 6-6 Washington comes to SVC after spending a season at Newport News Apprentice School, and has displayed excellent athleticism during pre-season workouts. Carroll, who stands 6-3, proved adept at both forward and guard during his prep career at Thomas Stone HS, earning a pair of all-conference accolades.
Brandon Sams, a 6-4 graduate of Pittsburgh Central Catholic, led his team to a pair of WPIAL playoff appearances, and was twice named All-Section, while 5-11 guard Jacob Dudzinski graduated from Belle Vernon HS as the school’s third all-time scorer, eclipsing 1,400 points for his career. Another local addition to the roster is 6-3 Brandon Nelson, who comes to SVC via Perry Traditional Academy in Pittsburgh’s extremely competitive City League.
After facing NCAA Division-I foe Duquesne University in a November 1st exhibition scrimmage, the Bearcats will open the season on November 15th, hosting Penn State-Fayette. The squad will play in a trio of early season tournaments, including ones hosted by Juniata College (Nov. 21-22nd) and North Carolina Wesleyan (Dec. 5-6th), as well as the Las Vegas Hoopla Tournament on Dec. 19-20th. In addition to their early season tourneys, the Bearcats will play 16 games against PAC foes as well as hosting non-conference tilts against cross-town rival Pitt-Greensburg (Nov 25th) and former NAIA/American Mideast Conference foe Notre Dame (OH) on Dec. 1st.
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